失讀症 / 失读症
shīdúzhèng
The English word dyslexia is translated into Mandarin as 失讀症 / 失读症 (shīdúzhèng). Wiktionary also lists 閱讀障礙 / 阅读障碍 (yuèdú zhàng'ài).
Meaning: learning disability (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 失讀症 / 失读症 | shīdúzhèng |
| 閱讀障礙 / 阅读障碍 | yuèdú zhàng'ài |
The term 閱讀障礙 / 阅读障碍 is frequently used in mainland China and Taiwan in school settings to describe students who struggle with reading. It translates to 'reading disability'.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 失讀症 / 失读症 is composed of 失 (loss/failure), 讀 (reading) and 症 (syndrome/disorder).
Which one should you use?
While 失讀症 / 失读症 is a specific medicalized term for dyslexia, 閱讀障礙 / 阅读障碍 is a more general term meaning 'reading obstacle' or 'reading disorder' and is often used in educational or descriptive contexts.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, the term 讀寫障礙 is used to refer to dyslexia, meaning 'reading and writing disability'. 閱讀障礙 / 阅读障碍 is widely recognized and used across mainland China, Taiwan and other Mandarin-speaking regions.
How do you pronounce it?
shīdúzhèng
Did you know?
- Because Mandarin uses logograms rather than an alphabet, dyslexia often manifests as a struggle to memorize the visual shape of a character rather than a struggle to map sounds to letters.
- The character 障 in the phrase for dyslexia originally referred to a physical screen or a shield used to block a view.
- In Mainland China, educational professionals often prefer the term 閱讀障礙 / 阅读障碍 because it sounds less stigmatizing than the word 'disorder' or 'syndrome'.
Examples in context
- 我姐姐患有阅读障碍，但她通过不懈的努力取得了很大的进步。My sister has dyslexia, but she has made significant progress through relentless effort.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dyslexia” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
